Donnington Health Centre

Telephone advice

If you wish to speak to a doctor by phone on the same day, please call before 11am. If you call after 11am, you will be booked for a routine call the next working day.

If you wish to speak with a specific doctor, this can also be booked for the next day that this doctor is working. It is usually better to speak with the doctor who has been dealing with an ongoing problem.

You can still get advice for urgent medical problems on the same day if needed (if you think you actually need an urgent appointment please book this through reception).

The doctor will call back after morning surgery, usually between 11.30 am and 3 pm. Please ensure that you keep your phone switched on and with you as “missed calls” cost a huge amount of time.

Information for patients – current NHS pressures

The NHS is under significant strain. There has been a large increase in demand, which has not been matched by increased staffing or resources for the NHS. The healthcare system is stretching itself to cover this demand, which is a risk to the safe care, and is not sustainable.

In response to this, the NHS is trying to make sure that each patient has their problem dealt with by the most appropriate person within the healthcare system.

At Donnington Health Centre, we recognise this. We are looking for new ways to provide the best care that we can given the current difficulties.

Changes to Telephone Call Handling

The number of requests for telephone calls from a doctor has been steadily increasing. Phone calls now take up a large amount of the doctor’s time, leaving less time for other areas of patient care.

We are going to start a new system where each doctor will run a telephone clinic. A maximum number of telephone calls can be booked with each doctor each day.

To make sure that your query is dealt with by the right person, our receptionists will ask you some brief questions as to the nature of your call. Your answers will be handled with strict confidentiality.

If you need to speak with a doctor, you will be booked into a phone clinic. The doctor will usually call you back between 12 midday and 3pm. If the doctor’s telephone clinic is full for that day, you will be booked into that doctor’s next available telephone clinic.

If you have an urgent medical problem that can’t wait, please tell reception. Staff can speak to a doctor, and we will still deal with urgent medical problems that need treating the same day.

A number of requests do not need a call back from a doctor and can be handled by our practice team i.e. giving results, enquires about hospital referrals, requests for letters etc.

We hope that you will understand why these changes are being made, and support us so that we can continue to provide the excellent care that our patients expect!

Who else can help?

Test results can usually be given by reception between 1-3pm. Please speak with reception in the first instance.

Queries about referrals, letters, medical certificates etc. can be dealt with by our reception staff, who will speak with the doctor if needed.

Pharmacists can often be useful resources about minor illness, over the counter medicines, drug side-effects and other health matters.